Love working outside? Enjoy being on or around our waterways? Contact us today!

As the weather starts to warm up, may of us begin to feel the pull of our waterways. The sun glimmers across the surface of Lakes Winnebago, Poygan, Winneconne, and Butte des Morts. A spring breeze plays across our skin. If you’re fondly thinking about the summer and being out on our waterways, we have a great opportunity for you! Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance has multiple ways that you can volunteer that will let you be out on our waters while helping to protect our waterways as well!

Lake Monitoring for invasive species

Citizen Lake Monitoring Network           

The  Citizen Lake Monitoring Network (CLMN) creates a bond between 1000+  citizen volunteers statewide and the Wisconsin Lakes Partnership. Our  goals are to collect high quality data, educate and empower volunteers,  and share this information. CLMN  staff provide volunteers with the necessary equipment and training to  conduct these monitoring activities. Volunteers provide their time,  expertise, energy, and a willingness to share information with their  fellow lake residents or other lake users. The information gathered by  these monitoring programs is used by Wisconsin Department of Natural  Resources and university biologists and researchers, UW-Extension, and other interested individuals.

Stream/River monitoring for invasive species

Project RED

The key to successfully protecting your river is detecting invasives early when it is still possible to isolate or eradicate the infestation. The longer we wait to find them and fight them, the more money and time it will take. Volunteers like you are invaluable for early detection. During a Project RED training you will learn which invasive species threaten your local rivers, how to differentiate them from native look-a-likes, and how to keep an eye out for them by canoe, kayak, or on foot.

Boater Education Program

Clean Boats, Clean Waters

Through the Clean Boats, Clean Waters program, inspectors are trained to organize and conduct a boater education program in their community. Adults  and youth teams educate boaters on how and where invasive species are most likely to hitch a ride into water bodies. Inspectors perform boat and trailer checks for invasive species, distribute informational brochures and collect and report any new water body infestations.

All of these programs are offered through Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance and the Winnebago Waterways Program. Volunteers are trained before they begin and work directly with our Winnebago Waterways Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator Chris Acy. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, contact Chris by emailing chris@fwwa.org or calling (920) 460-3674. We hope to hear from you soon!

Winnebago Waterways is a Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance program. The Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance is an independent nonprofit organization that identifies and advocates effective policies and actions that protect, restore, and sustain water resources in the Fox-Wolf River Basin.

Follow the Fox Wolf Watershed Alliance’s Winnebago Waterways Program on our Winnebago Waterways Facebook page or @WinnWaterways on Twitter! You can also sign-up for email updates at WinnebagoWaterways.org.

This article was written by Chris Acy, the AIS Coordinator for the Winnebago Waterways Program covering Fond du Lac, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties.